Archives for February 2015

This week’s Kirksville Police fugitive of the week is Brent Michael Wilson. He’s wanted for absconding probation on a burglary conviction. In a release police describe Brent Wilson as a white male, 5’6” tall, 130 lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes and tattoos. He has also used the names Brittain Wright and Young Stax.

Wilson has family and other ties to North Missouri and has lived in Trenton and Kirksville. It is unknown if he is in the Kirksville area. If you know where he is, call 627-BUST.

A weather-related crash yesterday in Scotland county. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports the crash happened when Keri Hinds of Memphis lost control on snow-covered Route 15 north of Greensburg about 8:30 last night. Her Camry slid off the road after crossing the southbound lane, hitting a utility pole. Hinds was taken by ambulance to Northeast Regional Medical Center. Here injuries were classified by the highway patrol as moderate.

A single vehicle crash in Marion county yesterday sent four people to the hospital. Troopers say 23-year old Elizabeth Mansfield of Hannibal was southbound on Route T south of Hannibal about 8:30 last night when she missed a curve. The 2000 Jeep Cherokee went off the road and hit several trees before coming to rest on its wheels. Mansfield and her three passengers were taken to Hannibal Regional hospital by ambulance.

Missouri Rural Crisis Center is holding an informational panel Thursday evening to provide the facts on Medicaid Expansion and the Healthcare Exchange and the impacts on rural Missouri. This is an opportunity to learn & discuss how the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid Expansion will affect your health and the health of your family and your community.

In a release, the group says rural Missourians have the most to gain by Missouri passing Medicaid Expansion because as a whole rural residents are older, have lower incomes and less access to employer-sponsored health insurance and healthcare services.

The forum is Thursday night starting at 5:30pm at the Gutensohn Clinic, Mehegan Classroom.

Remember the big Anthem data breach earlier this month? There is a one-in-three chance that the hackers got your personal data. The Missouri Department of Insurance says more than 2 million Missourians are affected by the data breach.

The department, along with Indiana, California, Maine and New Hampshire, is leading a multistate examination of the Anthem companies. Current and former Anthem policyholders dating back to 2004 whose personal information was included in the database that was compromised can now visit AnthemFacts.com to learn how to enroll in two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft repair services provided by AllClear ID.

A crash last night in Linn county hurt three people, two of whom were airlifted to University Hospital in Columbia. The Missouri State Highway Patrol identifies them as 15-year old Makayla Courtney of Milan, a passenger in the 2005 Ford Escape driven by 21-year old Chrissa White of Purdin, who was also flown to the hospital. A second passenger, 16-year old Taylor Toney of Milan was taken by ambulance to Pershing Memorial Hospital. None of the three were wearing a seat belt. The crash happened about 9 last night at the Route M and Haven Road intersection, when White rolled the SUV after crossing the oncoming lane and rolling the SUV in the ditch.

A major component of Ameren’s Mark Twain Transmission Project is the new Zachary Substation planned just south of Kirksville. Some opposition remains to the mostly-finalized route announced two weeks ago, but Ameren says it is moving foward with the project, including holding an open house session to discuss the remaining 2.5-mile stretch between the new substation and the existing Adair Substation.

Dubbed The Connector Project, this section of the overall project will provide a tranmission link between the main high-voltage system and the lower-powered consumer system that we use every day. Two routes for this connection remain on the table for discussion. The open house is scheduled for this Thursday, February 26, 10am, at the Days Inn in Kirksville. Ameren officials point out that this session is to discuss only The Connector Project and not the overall transmission project.

On Thursday, you’ll have a chance to learn more about Medicaid expansion and the Healthcare Exchange provided by the Affordable Care Act. The Missouri Rural Crisis Center will host a panel discussion on the impact these issues could have on you and your family. Rural Missourians make up 37% of the state’s population, but they account for over half of the state’s Medicaid qualifiers, meaning they have the most to benefit from Medicaid expansion. The event will take place Thursday at 5:30pm at the Gutensohn Clinic in Kirksville. Pizza and beverages will be provided shortly beforehand.

A weekend car crash sent a Macon woman to the hospital. Heather Holton was taken by ambulance to University Medical Center with serious injuries after the car she was in was rear-ended on Highway 63 between Macon and Moberly. The car was traveling slowly due to mechanical problems, and the driver who hit them didn’t react in time to avoid a collision. Holton’s daughter was driving at the time, but she and another occupant in the car sustained only minor injuries and did not require immediate medical attention.

The U.S.D.A announced that over $160 million is available from its National Institute of Food and Agriculture to fund agriculture research, education, and extension projects. The institute released requests for applications for its six grant programs as authorized under the 2014 Farm Bill. The programs cover plant health, animal health, food safety, natural resource management, technololy, and economics. More information can be found at the institute’s website: nifa.usa.gov.